Our first stop was Kloster Eberbach monastery, an abbey that is filled with rich history. We tasted non-alcoholic wine in the underground cellar and learnt about the history of the wine that has been preserved for centuries. Additionally, we spotted many swallows flitting in and out of the ancient architecture, which was a fun little Easter egg. We even had the opportunity to sing in the abbey, which was conducted incredibly by Elizabeth!

From the monastery, we took a short coach trip to the town of Wiesbaden, where we came to a very special place called Neroberg.  Neroberg is a mountain/hill which has a funicular train leading to the top of it. This funicular train is completely water-powered, as the town is located on a hot spring. Speaking of hot springs, the Romans decided to come to this place due to its hot spring, which the name of the town honours (hence the name “Nero”berg). From there, we went to a beautiful Russian Orthodox church, called St. Elizabeth’s Church. It was simply breathtaking, ‘atemberaubend’ in German.

We then had an interesting task of speaking to the local German people in Wiesbaden. We were given a list of questions to ask and the use of phones was strictly prohibited to help with translation. Although many students were nervous about approaching people so directly, the German locals were very helpful and patient with listening and answering our questions.  We found this experience really helped our German-speaking skills.

After having done this, we went back to the hostel, where we had, as Frau Müller called it, some “organised fun”. We played games, such as table football, table tennis, and air hockey, which ended in a very intense match between Frau Müller and Isha.

On Tuesday morning, we started the day by visiting a Christmas shop in the beautiful town of Rüdeshim. The shop had many beautifully hand-crafted pieces for us to purchase; including small music boxes, ornate baubles and trinkets, and fridge magnets. Interestingly, Frau Müller’s grandmother had been classmates with the founder. What a small world!

After the Christmas shop, we got into cable cars and made our way up the mountain. This was one of my favourite parts of the trip since the scenery was so surreal, and it was so peaceful up there. This was yet another example of an “atemberaubend” view!

At the top of the mountain, we saw a massive statue of Germania, a German symbol of victory against the French.

We then went on a hike, and we were taught about Waldbaden (‘forest bathing’), which is when you use all your senses to become one with the forest and immerse yourself in the experience. On this hike, there were many beautiful views of the river Rhein and its landscape below.  We also got to see some adorable deer!

We then went back down the mountain by cable car and had Kaffee und Kuchen (‘coffee and cake’). This traditional German experience was something we enjoyed very much! We were given 10 euros and sent to order food from local cafés. This was a key experience as we practised everyday conversational skills. The food was delicious. I thoroughly enjoyed the ice cream!

We then took a boat down the river Rhein, which was very beautiful and calming. After that, we made our way back to the hostel.

Our day began with a dance lesson from Mr Volkert (the true icon of our trip). He taught us to waltz, which was on my bucket list for quite a while. The Viennese Waltz is quite fast-paced, but we were taught well. We plan on fully utilising our skills at the next disco.

We then visited a rather interesting statue of a boy who occasionally spat at passersby, which was quite surprising.

Next we visited Marksburg Castle, which is located in the Rhine Valley. Our energetic guide, Rober took us through centuries of history where we learnt that it’s one of the few castles in the region that has never been destroyed or conquered. We were shown the armoury, which was incredibly detailed. We also saw bedrooms where the doorways were only big enough for a person that was 5’4 since that was the average height back then. Some of their inventions, e.g. their fridge, included some modern ideas that I wasn’t expecting from a time period so long ago.

After that, we set off for Aachen. The hostel was very comfortable. With 5 floors, using the lift is recommended if you’re staying on the 5th floor since the flights of stairs seemed to be never ending.

On Thursday morning, our day began with a walk around Aachen town centre, where there were many interesting fountains. Aachen, like Wiesbaden, is also located on a hot spring, which causes many people to believe that the water coming from the fountains is good for your health.

Tasting the hot water was definitely an experience. Pro tip: bring plenty of water afterwards to wash away that… unique aftertaste, also known as the taste of sulphur.

From there, we went to a treasury full of ancient artefacts found in Aachen, mostly revolving around the life of Charlemagne, an ancient Roman emperor who died in Aachen. Some of the artifacts contained the actual remains of Charlemagne – which was a little spooky, but mostly very fascinating! Overall, we all found this very interesting and educational.

Soon after that, we got to go into the Aachen Cathedral (Aachen Dom). It was truly beautiful, with ornate patterns all over the walls and up the spire. The patterns were somewhat similar to what you would expect from an Eastern European cathedral. I loved the gothic architecture, as did many of my peers. There is also a legend surrounding the cathedral, that suggests that the devil’s thumb is still stuck in the doorknob of the cathedral, and that you can still see and feel it (which students, including me, did go and touch!).

Following this, we had some free time to immerse ourselves in the true German experience, including a vital milestone of going to DM, a retail superstore. We got to experience a German supermarket, which, safe to say, has made us extremely efficient shoppers – a skill that we will continue to use in everyday life.

We then went to the dreiländereck, which is where Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium meet. It was a great photo opportunity, and a fascinating place to visit!  Afterwards, we went to a maze in the dreiländereck, which I found extremely fun, and it really helped us bond as friends! We went in groups of 8 into the maze with the aim of solving different riddles in order to complete our ‘quest’. What we didn’t realise was that as we completed these riddles, we also had to beware of water features that soaked us, dead ends at every corner we turned and, of course, not getting lost! Overall, the maze really tested our teamwork and problem-solving skills, and I would love to do it all over again!

The Lindt store we then visited was filled to the brim with delicious colourful chocolate. It is every 8-year-old's biggest dream come to life. I’ve never seen so many varieties of Lindt in one place before. I know for certain that I spent way too much money there, but trust me when I say that it was entirely worth it. I would definitely recommend going there at least once.

Finally, we made our way back to the hostel, where we started packing up, as we prepared for the long journey back home to England!